by Shane Sody

The State Government is about to break another of its four promises in connection with its new Aquatic Centre, under construction in your Denise Norton Park / Pardipardinyilla (Park 2 of your Adelaide Park Lands)

As we noted during our two-year campaign, the State Government walked away from four promises when it determined in 2022, that it would locate a new $135 million aquatic and commercial retail centre on your Park Lands, rather than on one of the many brownfield sites that the public had suggested.

First, the Government broke a promise to consult you on the proposed location. You were TOLD (not consulted) that your Park Lands would be taken.
Second, it broke a promise to protect and restore Adelaide’s tree canopy. To use this site, Government contractors destroyed dozens of mature trees, that were providing habitat for possums, koalas, and many bird species.
Third, from 1 August 2024, it is due to break a promise to keep the old centre operating while the new centre was being built; and
Fourth, it is breaking a promise that the new centre would be smaller than the old one to return land to your Park Lands.

After destroying dozens of mature trees in November 2023 (see video below) construction is now well under way.

The latest project update from the Department of Transport and Infrastructure (dated June 2024) reminds Aquatic Centre users that the closure of the existing centre is now only a few weeks away on 1 August 2024.

This location was once ‘Open, Green, Public’. Despite a petition with more than 8,000 signatures, pleading to “Save These Trees - Choose a Brownfield Site” the Government pushed ahead and destroyed dozens of mature trees on this site. Pic: Dept for Infrastructure and Transport, June 2024.

For more than 18 months, the State Government refused to acknowledge the overwhelming community demand for a win-win outcome for both swimmers and your Park Lands.

The community campaign was not just about saving trees, but also about increasing the tree cover, on a fully-restored and fully-protected Denise Norton Park / Pardipardinyilla (Park 2).

This was a campaign to PROTECT and RESTORE your Open, Green, Public Treasure, ,while getting a new Aquatic Centre on a better location.

This was our plan

This is the outcome

See the full story here: https://www.adelaide-parklands.asn.au/new-aquatic

The author of this article, Shane Sody, is the President of the Adelaide Park Lands Association and the editor of the semi-monthly newsletter, "Open Green Public".

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